"Detestable humans, even if I die, I will never submit."
The spectral entity glared at Xia Tianqiong with seething fury, allowing the power of the rules to tear its body apart, yet remaining defiant.
"Hmph, still so stubborn. Then go ahead and die. It will help me complete an experiment."
Xia Tianqiong took out another paper ingot from his pocket. He had burned one earlier, leaving this one intact. He then unfolded it, bit his finger, and used his blood to draw complex, strange runes on the back, before folding it back into ingot form.
Holding the silver ingot, he slowly approached the spectral entity. The eerie energy torn from its body seemed attracted to the ingot, pouring into it. The paper ingot began to shine with a metallic luster and gain weight. As the eerie energy continued to flow in, the ingot grew heavier and larger.
The spectral entity watched in disbelief, its mouth agape and eyes nearly popping out. "This... is the forbidden technique of the eerie world?"
"Who cares? Since you refuse the contract, then die. Your death will serve to transform you into ghost money."
Xia Tianqiong was overjoyed. This was his first attempt, and it actually worked. In his previous life, he had heard of this method from another eerie being and pursued it, ultimately discovering it in a bizarre scene. Unfortunately, he was killed by a powerful entity before escaping. It could be said that he lost his life for this method. Unlike burning paper money or ingots, which deplete a person's vitality, this method had no such cost. No ritual was needed, nor burning of paper ingots; just drawing the complex runes with one's own blood would allow the ingot to absorb the eerie energy and transform into ghost money.
The silver ingot in Xia Tianqiong's hand grew from thumb-sized to fist-sized, and kept getting bigger. He had to hold it with both hands as it became too heavy.
The spectral entity finally showed signs of regret. Its eyes flickered, and it suddenly pleaded, "Brother, I was wrong. I'm willing to sign an equal contract with you."
At that moment, Xia Tianqiong felt a strange aura surround him. He knew it was the power of the contract. He only needed to verbally agree to complete the contract. But he shook his head, shifting his gaze from the ingot to the spectral entity.
"If you had agreed earlier, I would have signed an equal contract. Now, I only accept a master-servant contract."
"You..."
The spectral entity was furious but did not dare to curse. Contracts between humans and eerie beings could be of three types: master-servant, servant-master, and equal. The names explained themselves. A master-servant contract placed humans as masters and eerie beings as servants, allowing humans to use the eerie abilities without any cost, even deciding the eerie being's life and death. If the human died, the eerie being would die as well. The servant-master contract was the opposite, with eerie beings as masters and humans as servants, allowing eerie beings to draw life or soul from humans without any constraints. An equal contract was like an employment agreement, where humans and eerie beings coexisted equally. Humans would need to pay with life, soul, or ghost money to use eerie abilities, and eerie beings could not harm their employers, even providing some protection.
"Your time is running out, decide quickly!"
Xia Tianqiong reminded as he held the ever-growing ingot. The spectral entity's body grew fainter and smaller due to the tearing force of the rules. It might vanish in the next moment. It hesitated, struggling internally. Accepting this human as its master meant losing its freedom and the right to life and death, a great humiliation for an eerie being. Yet, it was reluctant. It had just descended into this world and hadn't even tasted human life, now becoming a prey to a human. How unlucky!
Gazing at the growing ingot in Xia Tianqiong's hands, it had a sudden thought. This human mastered the forbidden technique of creating ghost money. Following him might not be a bad choice, as ghost money would never be lacking. With this self-consolation, it finally made a decision.
"I submit, I'm willing to sign a master-servant contract with you."
Xia Tianqiong laughed heartily, achieving his goal. "We will sign a master-servant contract. I am the master, and you are the servant."
He was reluctant to let the spectral entity die. Although weak, it had two very useful abilities. One was "Eerie Takeout," which used its eerie energy to condense various foods. Consuming these could delay aging, increase lifespan, and keep one's mind sharp, resisting some eerie influences. Overconsumption in a short time, however, could turn one into an eerie being. The other ability, "Door Opening," allowed it to open any door from a distance, locked or not, but only worked on doors. These abilities, though not offensive, were highly useful in the apocalypse.
After the contract was signed, the rule force disappeared. The spectral entity's shrunken body turned into a ball of eerie light and entered Xia Tianqiong's body. "Master."
"Mm, follow me, and I won't treat you poorly."
They could now communicate without speaking, just by thinking.
"Why did you choose me?"
Xia Tianqiong eagerly asked. In his previous life, he hadn't encountered this spectral entity, so how did his return change the course of events?
The spectral entity replied, "I was just passing by when I sensed someone's lifespan fluctuating wildly, and followed the fluctuation to find you."
Eerie beings could sense and steal human lifespans, and Xia Tianqiong's rebirth likely caused this fluctuation. Nodding, he asked, "When did the eerie beings start descending?"
"Yesterday. There were too many eerie beings and too few entry points. I barely squeezed in today."
Xia Tianqiong frowned. It seemed the authorities had hidden the truth for two days. He recalled that the day after tomorrow, a super-powerful eerie being would descend, killing six or seven thousand people in one night, causing global panic. This forced the authorities to reveal the truth about the eerie beings.
Remembering another matter, he thought about an eerie being that killed countless people in the early apocalypse, evolving into a higher level and turning a city of a million into an eerie city. This being was later forcibly contracted by a human hunter, using the spectral entity's ability. Realizing he had a chance to contract this powerful being, he became excited.
Holding the oversized ingot, Xia Tianqiong sat on the sofa, ready to gather more useful information from the spectral entity.
"Clink, clink, clink!"
The sound of a lighter's wheel scraping the flint suddenly echoed in the quiet room. Xia Tianqiong knew this sound well—it was a lighter. Instantly alert, he realized there was someone else in the room. No, another eerie being. The missing lighter might have been taken by this entity.
"Can you sense other eerie beings?" he asked in his mind.
"No, I can only sense those weaker than me."
"Are there any weaker than you?"
Eerie beings were ranked: wild, fierce, evil, murderous, fearsome, eerie generals, and eerie kings. The spectral entity was a wild being, the lowest rank.
"Master, humans have a saying, 'see through but don't say through.' Some eerie beings without rules are weaker than me, but they can't come to this world."
Ignoring its words, Xia Tianqiong cautiously rose, searching for the sound's source. The clinking stopped, but he suddenly looked at the bedroom wardrobe. The old wooden doors couldn't close tightly. A flicker of firelight came from within.
"There's definitely an eerie being inside!"
Cautiously approaching the wardrobe, Xia Tianqiong prepared to face whatever was there. Using the Door Opening ability, he opened the wardrobe from a distance.
"Cre-e-eak!"
The old wooden doors made a light sound, unusually loud in the silence. Inside were a few white shirts and black trousers. Beneath them sat a plump baby, wearing a red bellyband, around two or three years old, playing with the lighter. Seeing the open door, it turned to Xia Tianqiong, eyes large and lively, face rosy and cute, looking like a normal human baby.
But Xia Tianqiong broke into a cold sweat. "It's an eerie baby!"
Eerie babies were notoriously troublesome, their lowest rank being fierce, possibly evil or murderous. Their death rules were bizarre and hard to break, causing mass human deaths in the previous life. Far stronger than the spectral entity, he noticed oil stains on its hands and mouth, similar to the spilled takeout soup. Realizing it was responsible for the mess, not himself!
The baby suddenly laughed, then vanished, leaving only its cry echoing around. Everyone in the building heard it, from the first to the seventh floor.
Xia Tianqiong's face grew graver. He knew which eerie baby it was: not one, but a mother and child, with an almost unbreakable rule called "Eerie Mother Seeking Baby." Those targeted were almost certain to die.